Nice & Cozy
by Panny
Summary: So, flat plait, french plait, or maybe those gravity defying Pippi plaits. I can do those you know.Takes place during Love & Monsters. Total fluff and my best reviewed fic T & C. It even inspired fanart


-1**Nice & Cozy**

"Grah!"

The Doctor jumped at the growling cry that carried down the corridors of the TARDIS. He quickly shimmied out from under the console and trotted down the hall towards it's source. Inevitably he found himself outside Rose's room.

"Rose?" He called out her name apprehensively. The last time she'd screamed like that he charged in expecting a Sontaran or some other "beastie" as she might call it, only to find her charging out of the shower which had apparently run out of hot water and started spewing out cold. Much screaming and thrown shoes later he'd limped out vowing to never go in there again.

Behind the door he heard a soft sigh before she answered. "Yeah?"

"You all right?" He clicked the door open and poked his head in apprehensively to see what had caused her to yell like that. She looked up at him from her bed and smiled almost sheepishly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just frustrated... My hair," she added as an answer to his confused look.

"Your hair?" He looked at the object (objects?) in question. Her hair was wet, drops of water still clinging to the ends of a few of the honey colored strands. She had it parted down the middle and one half was frizzed out and disheveled.

"Yeah, my hair. Just trying to do something different." She sighed upwards to blow the loose strands from her face. "My mum used to plait it for me. Thought it'd be good to keep it out of the way when we're running and stuff."

The Doctor smiled. "Right. Hey, maybe if it wasn't in your face you would have grabbed the right bucket before. I mean really, who doesn't know the proper way to take out a Hoix?"

It was Rose's turn to smile, knowing he wasn't really mad at her about that. "Exactly. But, I can't do it on my own so..."

"We are _not_ going to see your mother."

Rose laughed, her eyes lighting up. "No, I know." She continued smiling at him, a knowing look in her eyes. They'd stopped by 2006 London not long ago and things had not gone well. He'd gotten a lot better about not provoking Jackie Tyler and had been doing pretty well until she'd insulted the TARDIS and he couldn't just let that slide could he? As usual, it had ended with the Doctor leaving with a sulk and Rose's mother complaining about how she could possibly put up with him.

They stared at each other for another moment or two until the Doctor finally sighed, rolling his eyes as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Come here." He told her.

"What?"

"Come here." He scooted back on the coverlet and nodded at the space in front of him. Smiling at the absurdness of his asking her to sit between his legs, Rose obliged. Feeling a little daring, she decided against just walking over and sitting down. Instead she slid across the bed and crawled over his lap to fall into place.

"So, flat plait, french plait, or maybe those gravity defying Pippi plaits. I can do those you know."

The Doctor could hear Rose shake in front of him as she broke into a fit of giggles that gradually built to full on laughter. "You? _You're_ gonna plait my hair?!"

The Doctor looked afronted when she turned to look at him.

"Been around long enough. Think I can do something as simple as a plait."

Rose's eyebrows slid upward, giving him an appraising look. "Now _that_ is impressive. Never in my life have I seen a bloke do a girl's hair... Well except for Antonio down at the salon my Mum works with. Mind you he's a bit... feminine himself."

The Doctor gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you want me to do this, or are you going to keep talking?"

In front of him Rose scowled, her nose scrunching slightly. "Hypocrite."

Before he could offer a retort she turned and settled herself in front of him. "Right then. Double french plait. And it better be neat."

Rose smiled as the Doctors finger tips grazed lightly along her forehead before running through her hair, gently combing through the tangles that had built up during her botched efforts. Slowly he began to gather her hair, expertly weaving it in a steady trail along her scalp. She fought the urge to settle back against his chest, reminding herself that he couldn't exactly do her hair if it was pinned down, and if he wasn't doing that, she wouldn't be in such a warm, cozy position in front of him.

"How long have you been dying your hair?" He asked, breaking her thoughts.

"Hm? I dunno. A few years. Yeah, I was still in school the first time so it's been a while now." After a long moment of silence she asked, "why?"

"No reason. Your roots are just showing."

"Is it really bad?" She asked, turning to look at him with concern. He smiled and turned her head back to face forward.

"No it's... it's nice. Different."

The Doctor quickly got back to work, silently begging Rose not to comment on his compliment. Thankfully she obliged. It really did look nice though. The two colors overlapping each other, gave it a sort of planned, haphazard look. Feeling creative he pulled a few strands of hair loose the let them hang along the side of her face.

Tying off the first plait he moved on to the second, catching a wiff of citrus as he gathered the hair up. She obviously hadn't messed with this side of her head since it was still slippery from the conditioner she'd used. Orange? No tangerine. Just slightly overripe, though that's probably not what the company was going for.

Again he pulled a bit of hair loose, then continued working. He was just finishing up when her phone rang. She hesitated and he could feeling her lean into him for just a moment before getting up and pulling the mobile from her pocket.

"Hi, Mum?"

Great. She never called when they were sitting around bored in the TARDIS, or waiting for some historic event he had overshot by an hour or two. No, it was always when they were comfy and having fun. Comfy? Did he really use that word? Bit soft for him, but he supposed it applied well to Rose. Soft and comfy.

"What?!"

The Doctor jumped at Rose's shriek. She signaled to him that what Jackie was saying might actually be important. He sat and watched her talk as patiently as he could manage, listening to her end of the conversation to try and figure out what was going on.

"Well, what exactly did he say?" …

"A picture? Well that's sort of creepy, isn't it?" …

"Wait a minute. You let some strange guy from the laundry into the flat?" …

"Look, Mum. I know Mickey would have fixed it but-" …

The Doctor rolled his eyes in Rose's direction. She rolled them right back, obviously tired of her mother's ability to gab.

"Mum- Mum, just wait a sec, k? We're gonna be there. Me and the Doctor. We're coming right now." …

"Of course he has to come. Has to do with him too, doesn't it?" …

Rose nudged his leg with her foot, giving him a look that told him not to argue and to get moving. As they walked down the corridor she continued her conversation.

"No no. I was just getting my hair done." ...

"By who?" Rose turned towards the Doctor, a devilish look in her eyes. Oh no, she wouldn't. He'd never hear the end of it.

"Just a salon." …

"Yes, the have salon's in the future." …

"No, it wasn't an alien. Well actually, yeah it was. But he's fairly normal. Could barely tell." She stuck her tongue out at the Doctor while he set in the coordinates.

"No Mum, he's not like Antonio. At least, not that I've seen. Though there was that one kiss." ...

"Is he good looking?" She looked him up and down. "He's okay I suppose. A bit skinny." ...

"No I didn't ask him out. I can if you want me to." …

She fought back a snicker while the Doctor did the same. "Oh yeah, sure. But if I bring him home you've got to promise to be nice to him, no matter what." …

Rose watched the time rotor glide up and down as she listened to her mum drone on about her needing to find a nice, normal, human boy. As the rotor stopped she finally cut her mother off. "Listen. We're here now, okay. And if it's that important to you, I'll bring him right now." …

The Doctor shot her a stern glare, his smile gone and replaced by a look of horror. On the phone her mother began to prattle on again.

"I mean it." She said, stepping out of the TARDIS and making her way across the estate. "I've got him with me right now. We'll be up in a sec."

Rose hung up the phone before her mum could answer, then grabbed hold of the Doctor before he could get away.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" He exclaimed, stepping in front of her to plead, doe eyes staring with all sorts of sadness. All she could do was laugh and move past him, pulling him along.

"Oh, I know. You'll never hear the end of it." 


End file.
